Shooting plea offer is rejected

Trial date not yet set for Watervliet man in March killing of local rapper

Published 8:11 pm, Friday, October 12, 2012

TROY — A 19-year-old Watervliet man charged with second-degree murder for a March shootout that killed a local rapper rejected a deal Friday to plead guilty to first-degree manslaughter.

Allen J. McBee appeared before Judge Andrew Ceresia for a pre-trial hearing that would have been cancelled if he had agreed to the agreement.

A manslaughter conviction carries a sentence of 5 to 25 years while a conviction for second-degree murder carries a term of 25 years to life.

Assistant District Attorney Shane Hug was told by McBee's attorney, Bruce Lennard, that the plea offer had been turned down and a pre-trial began. A trial date has not been set.

In May a grand jury indicted McBee on charges of second-degree murder, two counts of weapons possession and trespass for the March shooting of Sha-Kim Miller, who just hours before his death wrote a song and posted it to the Internet predicting his own demise.

The trespass charge stems from allegations McBee fled the scene and hid under a child's bed at 45 Ida St.

Miller, 36, who rapped under the name Pacino G.I.R., was shot just before 3 p.m. March 8 after an argument with a group of men on Second Street near Madison Street that turned into an exchange of gunfire.

Police officers and detectives testified Friday that witnesses told them two men were talking with Miller in the middle of Second Street. One was angry and arguing with Miller while the other appeared to be trying to calm the dispute, they said. Shots were fired and Miller dropped to the ground, where he died, police said. Near Miller was a handgun he carried and not far from his body five spent 9mm shell casings were found, officers testified.

Officers said under cross-examination by McBee's attorney that the murder weapon was never found despite an extensive search of the area that included State Police divers searching a nearby canal.

Miller, a Brooklyn native and father of five, performed at area clubs including the former Sneaky Pete's and Bogies.

YouTube videos show him opening for national hip-hop acts Lloyd Banks and Beanie Sigel.

McBee was returned to the county jail without bail pending further proceedings.